Techs for the Taking: SkillsOntario CEO calls on employers to make use of hiring, apprenticeship resources
Toronto, Ontario — The table is set for Ontario’s collision repair managers in need of skilled technicians for their shop, according to Ian Howcroft of SkillsOntario; all they need to do now, he says, is dig in. Howcroft, SkillsOntario’s CEO of the past five years, recently discussed with Human Resources Director Canada Magazine the often […]
Dave Squared: BETAG’s Dave Flockhart to co-host Elite Body Shop webinar Thursday
Toronto, Ontario — The power of two Daves combined will be present on this Thursday’s Elite Body Shop Academy webinar, as host Dave Luehr welcomes BETAG Innovation COO Dave Flockhart onto the show to talk hiring practices. Dave Flockhart, a known quantity in the collision repair wold and recent speaker at AutoCanada’s 2023 conference back […]
School or Skills: Ontario’s Grade 11 apprenticeship fastrack could put graduation at risk, education advocates say
Toronto, Ontario — An Ontario-based education advocacy group has called the provincial government’s March decision to allow Grade 11 students to enter full-time apprenticeship programs into question. People for Education put forth a series of questions to the Ford government on Wednesday, dissecting how the organization feels this decision could create a backslide into ineffective […]
Ontario on the Up: Province marks uptick in new apprentice registrations
Ottawa, Ontario — The Ontario government has increased skilled trade apprenticeship registrations by 24 percent in the last year, according to a press release from Tuesday. Last year, 21,971 new apprentices were registered in Ontario; as of April 2023, 27,319 new apprentices were registered in the province. As of April 2023, Ontario had 91,634 active […]
Trades Tour: New Brunswick Community College launches Mobile Training Centre to reach remote students
St. Mary’s First Nation — New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) announced Wednesday that it is taking trades training on the road, with the unveiling of the new Mobile Training Centre aimed at sourcing skilled workers from across the province. Launched at an event in Sitansisk (St. Mary’s First Nation), opposite the Fredericton side of the […]
The Prodigal Technician: Auto industry employment up 2.2 percent in Q1 2023, remains ‘robust’, DAC report says
Toronto, Ontario — A new report from DesRosiers Automotive Consulting (DAC) shows a partial parting of the clouds for auto industry employment, with trends showing an average uptick of 2.2 percent across all industry verticals in Q1 2023. Automotive parts and accessories stores led the way this quarter, recording 8.9 percent employment growth year-over-year, followed […]
Partners in Progress: IBC partners with Skills Ontario to support Indigenous initiatives
Toronto, Ontario — The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has officially come on board as a partner of Skills Ontario’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program, with plans to support the organization’s First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) initiatives. Skills Ontario regularly hosts information sessions aimed at attracting underrepresented populations, namely Black, Indigenous and new Canadian […]
All the Marbles: Skills Canada National Competition ongoing in Winnipeg
Winnipeg, Manitoba — The Skills Canada National Competition is officially underway in Winnipeg this week, gathering together the top performers from the Spring’s run of provincial competitions. This year’s event will pit more than 550 secondary and post-secondary trade students against each other in a series of competitions simulating real workplace challenges. Autobody repair students […]
Making Space: Ontario gov. invests $4.7 million into free training for techs transitioning to EV sector
Toronto, Ontario — With all Ontarian eyes fixated on huge investments into the province’s auto sector as of late, the Ford government announced Wednesday that a round of funding totalling more than $4.7 million is on the way to create the jobs to match industry growth. The announcement was made in London, Ont. alongside representatives […]
The Future is Bright: Skills Canada Ontario 2023 autobody and car painting winners announced
An auto collision competitor, working his craft at the Toronto Congress Centre. Photo by Bill Speed, Skills Canada Ontario Toronto, Ontario — The winners for Skills Canada Ontario 2023 have been released, with technical committee chair Bill Speed of Action Appraisals saying that this year’s competition featured some of the best setups and most skilled […]
